Combination time and percussion fuse.



No. 814,860. PATENTEQD- MAR. l, 1906.

J. P. MEIGS & E. A. GATHMANN.

GOMBINATION TIME' AND PERCUSSION FUSE. APPLIOATION FILED APR.25,19()5.

10 I G B I amptow.

6*] from mus View of the spring-washer.

'nnrrnn srrirns rrirnn'r JOHN F. MEIGS AND EMIL 1i. GAlHh iANN, OF SOUTH BETHLEHEM,

PENNSYLVANIA,

ASSIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY,

OF SOUTH BETHLEHEivl, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA'HON OF PENNSYLVANIA.

Specification of Letters: Patent.

.iracenteo March 13, 1906 Application filed April 25, 1905. Serial No. 257,376.

iul Improvements in at omhination 'lnne and Percussion Fuse oi" which the followin l D is a specification.

Our invention relates to tune-fuses; and it consists of a easing provided with suitable ex- .ploders with means for retaining the timehannner in position, which also may be employed for turning the setting-ring, and in certainarrangements of the chambers and conduits for the fling-powder, as fully set forth hereinafter and as illustrated in the accoinpanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an external view of fuse enibodying our improvements. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view. -Fig. 3 is a plan Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the retaining-bar and bale.

The casing of the fuse consists of the body A, having a threaded boss 2 for attachment to the projectile, a cap B, and intermediate the parallel faces of the body and cap turns the setting-ring t, having a mark which may be brought to coincide with graduations on the body A, as shown in Fig. 1.

VV'thin the easing are chambers for the reception of the time-hammer G, which is held in'a forward position by a shearing-pin l, and a percussion-hammer F, held in the rear })0Sltion by a shearing-pin J. An anvil below tli J time-hammer G will support a suitable eX-' ploder, as a cap, and has an opening communicating with a duct 3, and an anvil with a central perforation is forward of the percussion-hammer 1 Between the ring L and the body A is an annular flame-chamber :0, with which communicates at one point the duct 3 for an ignition or flashing charge, and at the opposite point a port 4 allords connnunicw iion benveen the said chinnber :r and a segmental groove 6 in the said ring containing the fuse, the same being eonipos )1! which ignites readily, a vent Ll permitting the escape of gases due to combustion of the ignition charge and of the fuse composition. The port and the vent 14 are in close proximity to one another, so-that as the gases o'l' ignition charge out through the vent light" ing of the fuse eoniposition thr ugh the port a s assured. A l11lgfiZlYa0Rl12ti1llJGl y in the body A counnunieates, through a d not 7, with a port 5 below the groove (3, the magazinechaniber also communicating with an opening in the anvilE, which is perforated, (the perforations being elosed with thin washers of paper or linen.) 'lhe 1iereussiiin-hanimer i is also provided with ieri orations, so that on the ignition oi the charge in the magazinecheniber 1 the ilanre may pass therefrom through the anvil and hammer to the charge in the projectile. The vent 1% is closed by the insertion of a thin disk, and apiece of quick match or pellet 't of powder is preferabl v inserted in said port, leading, therefrom to the port, t, so as to insure a strong flash of flame at this point as the gases of the ignition charge pass through the vent.

A felt washer N is arranged to bear against one face of the ring 0 and a s ring-washer H againd' the other face the eileet oi thespring WtlSlltl being to forcethe ring irietionally against the felt washer, tending to hold it securely from turning after adjustment. As shown, the spring washer is an annular dished plate hearing against the ring and against the lower face of ill? cap B and actin as a spring-peeking to seal the joint.

By turning the cap the distance between the ports 4 and 8 may be increased or diminished, so that the-length of fuse in the groove 6 between the said ports may be increased or diminished to vary the tiniei'equired fol-communicating ignition froin the chamber a: to

the contents of the chamber y.

An annular lip extends inward from the ring U to the hub of the body A and serves to ravest short eirenits of the flame From the annular flame-chamber a: to the. ehanneleontsining t'use composition. The spring-washer H by pressing the ring against the annular seat on the body A serves to secure a close joint to insure the above-described result.

To retain the time-hammer securely in position so that it cannot be dropped during the handling of the projectile, we make use of a safety-bar M, which extends through coinciding openings of the cap and hammer and prevents any movement of the latter until the bar is withdrawn, and we make use of this bar as a means to turn the ring C against its friction-bearings by providing a socket 9 in the periphery of the ring adapted to receive the end of the, bar M. A. suitable detent is used to hold the bar M temporarily in its position looking the time-hammer. As shown, the said detent is a wire ring 10, adapted to pass over the head of the cap extending through the bar M near one end and capable of being distended so as to spring down to a position below the other end of the bar, as shown. The bar may be released by again flattening the ring, swinging it over the head of the cap to the position shown in dotted lines, Fi 1.

In or er to preserve the parts and prevent the entrance of moisture between the bearings, we subject the fuse device after the parts have been assembled to a bath of a shellac solution or other liquid, which'when dried will form a thin waterproof coating t over the whole.

It is preferable to prevent the spring-washer from rotating, which maybe done by means of projections 12 upon the washer extending into recesses of the body A.

Thevacant flame-chamber between the igniting char e and the fuse-train fulfils a very important incti'on, as it assures of a more uniform rate of burning of the timetrain than if thetrain vents directly to the exterior of the fuse. When a shell'or shrapnel fitted with point-fuse is fired from the gun, especially at high velocities and from long-bore guns, the air contained in the bore of the gun forward of the projectile is greatly compressed, and if free entrance is provided to the ventopeniug the rush and pressure of air are likely to extinguish the flame of the time-train. Furthermore, if the gases caused by the burning of the time-train are not provided with a chamber of suitable capacity for their expansion an abnormal accelerated rate of burning' will occur. We therefore provide the annu-ar vacant flame-chamber, into which the gases enter and expand while the shell and ruse are being expelled from and are still in the bore of the gun.- WVhen the shell and fuse issue from the mouth of the un, the unit of air pressure forward of t e projectile is reatly reduced and the time-train ases will blow ofi the vent-covering and re ieve the pressure by venting to the exterior of the fuse. The flame-chamber is preferably annular, so that li hting or ignition of the timetrain is assuref at any setting of the traindisk.

Without limiting ourselves to the precise construction and arrangement of parts shown, we claimas our invention*- 1. The combination in a time-fuse, of a settin -rin having a socket, a bar adapted to sai soc et, a recess in the fuse-casin for the tem orary reception of the bar, an means for iolding the bar in said recess, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with a time-fuse and with the hammer thereof, of a setting-ring having a socket; a bar adapted to said socket, a recess in the fuse and in the hammer for the tem orary reception of the bar, and means for iiolding the bar in said recess, substantially as set forth.

3. In a time-fuse, a casing having a chamber for a hammer and a recess extending through the casing and also through the hammer, combined with a bar adapted to extend through said recess to retain the hammer in place, a resilient ring connected with the bar and adapted to encircle a part of the casing, and a setting-ring havin a socketadapted to receive the end of the' ar, substantially as set forth.

4. In a time-fuse, a casing having a cap with a chamber for a hammer and a recess extending through the cap and also through the hammer, combined with a bar adapted to extend through said recess to retain the 11ammer in place, and a detent-spring ring extending through a transverse recess at the end of the bar to swin over the end of and encircle the cap and ho d the bar detachably in place.

5. The combination with the casing, hammer and socketed setting-ring of a time-fuse, of a detachable bar adapted to a recess in the casing and hammer and also to the socket of the setting-ring, substantially as and for the purpose set forth 1 6. A fuse for projectiles having a cap and a body portion with an annular seat, ducts for an ignition char e and a lighting charge, and a setting-ring iiaving an annular chamber open at the top and communicating with the ignition-duct and a lip below the latter, substantially as set forth.

7. In a percussion-fuse, a body with a magazine and with a seat for an exploder, a duct containing a flashing with said seat, a cap, a-setting-ring rotatable charge communicating between the body and cap and having an an nuiar flame chamber communicating vwith the duct, and a curved fuse-chamber connnnnicating with the flame-chamber and with the magazine, substantially as set forth.

8. A time-fuse provided with an explodei,

, a duct for a flashing charge extending to the exploder, a chamber for :mse composition, a train-ring with a lip a vacant flamemhamber above the lip and between the duct and fusechamber, the flame-chamber open'at the top and a vent-port communicating with said l ehan1ber, substantially as set forth.

i In testimony whereof We have signed out names to this specification in the presence of 5 J two subscribing Witnesses.

JOE-IN F. MEEGS. EMIL A GATHMANN.

' Witnesses:

EDWIN A. MILLER, 

